Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-21

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

SOUTHWEST AIRPORT

Student answer (Band 5.5)

This image shows SOUTHWEST AIRPORT's current site and future development plan. There are massive improvements for the passengers experience in the air port, starting from increase in arrival and departure entry points from 1 to 2, with on the arrivals we have Cafe,car hire and ATM all new additions. on the other side we have departures bag drop,cafe and check-in, bag drop is a new addition to the departure sections. the Security passport control and passport contro; customs remains same. just above the Security passport control we have newly added shops, for the passengers to shop and have a last minute needs fulfilled. With this comes the gates, we have a major increase in number of gates from 8 to 18. The walk ways have been completely removed and a sky train is introduce for easy commute of the passengers. Overall it looks very welcoming and helpful for the passengers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several major changes accurately, including the increase from 8 to 18 gates, the introduction of a sky train, and new facilities such as bag drop, an ATM and car hire. You also note that security and passport-control areas remain, which helps compare the two plans. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the entrance points are not shown as increasing from one to two, and the new shops are along the angled wall between departures and the concourse, not simply above security. The overview that the airport becomes more welcoming is evaluative rather than a clear summary of its main spatial changes. To strengthen the response, describe the Y-shaped concourse extension and explain more precisely how check-in and other facilities are relocated; some changes are currently listed without enough detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response includes a recognisable sequence of comparisons, moving from passenger entrances and terminal facilities to shops and gates, and phrases such as “on the other side” and “With this comes the gates” attempt to connect ideas. However, the information is presented as one long paragraph, so the main overview and supporting details are not clearly separated. Several transitions feel mechanical, and the repeated “we have” makes the progression less controlled. The sentence beginning “on the arrivals” also makes the relationship between the facilities and the plan difficult to follow. Organise the response into an introduction, a concise overview, and paragraphs describing the terminal and concourse changes. Use clear spatial links such as “in the arrivals area” and “along the extended concourse.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “gates,” “bag drop,” “car hire,” “ATM,” and “sky train,” and terms such as “increase” and “new additions” help communicate the broad changes. However, some wording is imprecise or informal for a map description. “Massive improvements” and “very welcoming and helpful” express an opinion rather than describe the layout, while “last minute needs fulfilled” is an awkward collocation. “Air port” is also incorrectly separated, and “walk ways” should be written as one word. Aim for precise spatial and change vocabulary, such as “the concourse is extended,” “is relocated,” and “is added.” This would give the description a more formal, accurate tone without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentence structures, for example, “With this comes the gates,” and the response is generally understandable. However, control is uneven, particularly in sentence boundaries, articles, and verb forms. The opening sentence after the introduction is a fragment-like run-on, while “starting from increase in arrival and departure entry points” lacks an article and has an unclear grammatical structure. In “a sky train is introduce,” the verb form is incorrect; “the passengers experience” also needs a possessive form. Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, including the lower-case sentence opening “on the other side” and the semicolon in “control; customs.” Use complete sentences with a consistent present-to-future framing, and check articles, possessives, and verb forms during revision.

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